Roberto Mancini has accused midfielder Samir Nasri of giving only "50%" for Manchester City this season.
Mancini reckons the ?24m Frenchman, who has netted just three times in 24 appearances in 2012/13, is half the player he was last term.
"Samir can do better than this year," Mancini said.
"He is a top player, but he has not been playing at his level.
"Samir has fantastic qualities. He should always play well. A player of this quality could be one of the best in Europe. But it's not happening.
"If you are a top player, you know you can improve until the last day of your career.
"But sometimes you get players who think it is not important to work and this is their worst mistake.
"You win the title, you think it's enough to play 50 per cent and you don't arrive the next year."
During an exclusive interview with The Guardian, Mancini confirmed his interest in Napoli's Edinson Cavani and Liverpool's Luis Suarez, as well as Atletico Madrid forward Falcao.
"I like (Cavani) but all the world wants him," Mancini added. "There are big players. I don't know what can happen.
"Suarez plays for a top team like Liverpool. Cavani plays for Napoli. There's Falcao but, again, all the managers like him."
Much like his manager, there were few expectations for the Spaniard to deal with when he arrived in south Wales having joined from Rayo Vallecano in a deal worth a little over ?2million last summer.
But Michu has proven to be the bargain buy of this, or any, season, racking up 18 goals in all competitions to fire Swansea into the top half of the Premier League table, to a first major cup final and put himself in contention for a call-up to Vicente del Bosque's Spain squad.
The success achieved by Laudrup and Michu since their arrivals has seen both linked with moves away from the Liberty Stadium.
Michu quashed some of the speculation over his future by signing a new improved contract through to 2016 in January, but Laudrup's deal currently only runs to 2014.
Swansea chairman Huw Jenkins is keen to tie the Dane to a longer contract, and Laudrup's agent has indicated talks will take place shortly.
The 48-year-old has asked that any negotiations be put back until after the final, but he has been continually linked with Real Madrid, Chelsea and Manchester City, with a poll in Spanish newspaper AS revealing 72 per cent of Real fans want him to replace Jose Mourinho this summer.
But Michu hopes his manager will still be in charge next season, particularly if victory on Sunday sends the Welsh club into the Europa League.
"He (Laudrup) has been good for me," said the 26-year-old.
"He was good as a player, and very good as a coach. He is one of the best I have had in my career and I am very happy with him. He has taught me many things, he gives you a good feeling on the pitch and the chance to play well, he is good for all the players.
"It would be good if he would stay. We are really happy with him but we know like a player you want to grow, go to top clubs, play finals and win titles.
"I have read that he has been mentioned with Real Madrid but I want him to stay here."
He added: "I didn't speak to him or ask for a guarantee about his future when I signed my contract, I just wanted to stay here and maybe if we win the cup we can go into Europe and I hope to stay to be a part of that.
"In the summer, I hope the gaffer stays here and I can stay here too."
The forward, who regularly plies his trade up front rather than in his favoured attacking midfield role, also revealed Swansea's status as one of the Premier League underdogs attracted him to the club, although he knows it is not a tag they will enjoy against League Two Bradford.
"It was good for me they were maybe not a favoured team," he said. "It is a bit like myself, nobody gave me any presents in my career. I have to fight for everything and I am happy to do the same here.
"It will be different now as I know we are favourites, but we are not going to change.
"We will try to keep the ball, create chances and take them on. I know Bradford are League Two and we are in the Premier League but it is one game, 90 minutes and anything can happen."
